The English Dictionary defines wisdom as the ability to discern inner qualities and relationships; good sense; insight; the teachings of the ancient wise people; a wise attitude or cause of action, et cetera. German physicist and philosopher Albert Einstein (1879-1955) says that wisdom is not a product of schooling, but a lifelong attempt to acquire it.
Do we now have a good definition of wisdom? Let us try to define it in simpler terms. As Einstein says: Wisdom is not necessarily a sure product of schooling. We have wise people, indeed some of our ancestors are eminently wise people that never attended school as we know it today. They acquired wisdom through an intense reflection and meditation on life, observed life and gradually came to insights that are not found in any book.
Some of the insights of our ancestors are found in proverbs in every culture, tribe and nation. Knowing a certain proverb does not automatically make one a wise person. One needs to reflect on it many times and see its implications in the course of life. One may know the English proverb: “Silence is golden” but that knowledge does not make her or him wise. There is a need to reflect on it many times and see how it plays out in life. So Eistein is right: we gradually acquire wisdom in the dance of life.
Perhaps it is easier to get a glimpse of the meaning of wisdom by reflecting on the stories, proverbs, riddles that come to us from many philosophies and cultural traditions. The ancient Greek philosophers tell us that philosophy is the study of wisdom. It is the study of how to live well and successfully in society and with the environment. Great philosophers do not speak much but they reflect a lot. They are not quick to respond to anything without profound thinking.
They give us teachings such as, when angry or very happy, do not make any decisions. You are likely to make mistakes. Wait until your mind and heart have cooled down and have had a chance to think things over, and even a chance to consult with others. In Kiswahili we say: haraka haraka haina baraka.
So, do you now have a better understanding of wisdom? Well, one reading of this article may not be enough. Here is one idea that helps me to have some insight on what wisdom is: my realisation that the acquisition of wisdom is ongoing in the journey of life.
